The former police officer pushing for greater transparency at Town Hall

From living on the streets to working as a cop, Kyrstle Mitchell has been through a lot within the City of Melbourne, and she is now throwing her hat in the ring to be a councillor.

After two years of living in regional Victoria, the former police officer is moving back to Docklands and is running for a seat in Town Hall, with a campaign centred around integrity and transparency.

Ms Mitchell will be running as an independent for her group Your Voice Matters to Me, a last-minute decision that was made after she and her partner had an offer on a townhouse accepted in Docklands at the beginning of September.

If elected, Ms Mitchell believes that it is her duty as a councillor to support the vision of the elected mayor while holding them to account when necessary.

“It doesn’t matter who you elect as Mayor – if they want the same positive changes, I will support them,” she told Docklands News.

I don’t align with left or right, I’m a centrist who believes in libertarian ideals. I’m also a practising Christian, but my beliefs are personal – they’re not something I impose on others.

Behind Ms Mitchell’s decision to run for council is a passion for Melbourne and despite living outside the city for two years it remains unbridled.

“I’ve watched the decline of what was once the world’s most liveable city. For me, this is personal,” she said.

A responsible City of Melbourne, according to the candidate, is one that truly listens and works in the best interests of residents and businesses.

Ms Mitchell, who quit Victoria Police during the pandemic due to discomfort with the Chief Health Officer’s directions, said that she would support decisions in the chamber that increased transparency and accountability.

“I think that if residents and media are having to submit Freedom of Information requests and wait six months to get a response to get access to council material, then we’re doing it wrong,” she said.

“If we want people to have faith in the decisions that the council makes, then we should be fully transparent and open with the people and give access to that material.”

Additionally, the independent candidate also believes that the current preferential voting system is a “back-room” preference deal system that keeps voters in the dark and allows people to be elected despite not having the majority vote.

While she is a member of the Libertarian Party, she said that she wasn’t endorsed this year due to her candidacy being a last last-minute decision.

Ms Mitchell is excited to be moving back to the city she loves and if elected, she is ready to advocate for a more transparent and fairer council. •